{"id":168020,"date":"2025-11-26T16:03:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=168020"},"modified":"2025-11-26T16:03:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:03:04","slug":"5-available-centers-that-could-shift-the-playoff-picture-overnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/11\/26\/5-available-centers-that-could-shift-the-playoff-picture-overnight\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Available Centers That Could Shift the Playoff Picture Overnight"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are still several months away from the NBA trade deadline, but some early trends are already taking shape. And it looks like we might be headed toward a bidding war at the center position. This NBA trade season, the hottest names on the market are big men. Teams looking to upgrade their center spot will have plenty of opportunities to do so. With that in mind, let\u2019s take a look at some of the available names.<\/p>\n

5 Available Centers That Could Shift the Playoff Picture Overnight<\/h2>\n

Here is the good news for fans: if your team needs a center, this is the year to get one. Per the latest reports<\/a>, there is a surprisingly strong group of big men who are expected to be available during this year\u2019s NBA trade season. Looking at the names, we can expect an intriguing, center-heavy deadline market\u2014something we haven\u2019t seen in recent years. Here are five names to watch.<\/p>\n

Nic Claxton<\/h3>\n

The Brooklyn Nets are in full rebuild mode<\/a>, and there is little reason for them to keep Nic Claxton<\/a>. He has two more years left on his contract after this one, and the good news for interested teams is that his salary declines annually. Claxton will make $25 million this year, $23 million next season, and $20 million in the 2027\u201328 season. He has also been reliable, playing 70+ games in each of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n

He won\u2019t stretch the floor, but he is a highly serviceable big who can score inside. Four years ago, he led the league in field goal percentage. That number has dipped since, largely because the Nets lack talent around him. On a more competitive roster, Claxton can be an efficient and impactful center.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Isaac<\/h3>\n

Teams looking for a serviceable backup big man might take a look at Jonathan Isaac<\/a>. The challenge, however, is his salary. For someone averaging just 10 minutes per game, his $15 million annual paycheck is quite steep. The Orlando Magic have an abundance of frontcourt players, making Isaac the odd man out. Orlando might be willing to move him for a second-round pick and some expiring salary.<\/p>\n

Robert Williams III<\/h3>\n
\"Portland
Nov 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) and Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) battle for the ball during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gone are the days when Robert Williams III<\/a> was considered one of the best defensive bigs in the NBA. Over the past few seasons, \u201cBig Rob\u201d has settled into a bench role in Portland. With the Blazers committing to their young players<\/a>, Williams is no longer part of the long-term plan. He would be an excellent fit for a contender that needs a defensive-minded center off the bench. Because he is on an expiring contract, Portland cannot expect a big return\u2014a second-round pick is likely enough.<\/p>\n

Jusuf Nurkic<\/h3>\n

Last season, the Phoenix Suns couldn\u2019t find a team willing to take on Jusuf Nurkic<\/a>. However, his early-season play in Utah has helped restore some of his trade value. The Utah Jazz are always looking to gather future assets, so it wouldn\u2019t be surprising if they dangle Nurkic during this year\u2019s trade season. He remains a reliable contributor who can help a contender for 15\u201320 minutes per game.<\/p>\n

Nick Richards<\/h3>\n

The Phoenix Suns have been actively trying to trade Nick Richards<\/a> since the summer. Right now, he’s been riding the bench, averaging just over 10 minutes per game. The market for Richards isn\u2019t strong, and among the available centers, he might be the least talented. He is serviceable in the paint but doesn\u2019t offer much beyond that.<\/p>\n

Featured Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are still several months away from the NBA trade deadline, but some early trends are already taking shape. And it looks like we might be headed toward a bidding war at the center position. This NBA trade season, the hottest names on the market are big men. Teams looking to upgrade their center spot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5291,"featured_media":168034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,6,62,17,28,23,24],"tags":[821,135,4581,2978,1588],"class_list":["post-168020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nets","category-nba","category-magic","category-suns","category-trailblazers","category-jazz","tag-jonathan-isaac","tag-jusuf-nurkic","tag-nic-claxton","tag-nick-richards","tag-robert-williams"],"modified_by":"Benjamin Yu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5291"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168020"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168036,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168020\/revisions\/168036"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}